The present invention relates generally to the construction of mosaics and more specifically to the construction of photorealistic mosaics.
Techniques have been developed that enable the construction of an image using a mosaic of small images. The processes typically involve using photographs as the small images and combining the photographs to form a larger image. From a distance, the small images appear as pixels of color. As a viewer approaches the image, the viewer is able to resolve each of the pixels as a separate image. Creation of images using a mosaic of smaller images typically involves the use of computer software that divides a target image (i.e. an image that is to be recreated by the mosaic) into regions and that locates the smaller image, which is the best fit for each region. The process can be entirely automated and the photorealistic nature (i.e. the resemblance of the mosaic to the target image) of the mosaic depends upon the effectiveness of the process in matching smaller images to regions of the target image and the inventory of available smaller images. In many instances, the software can reuse images to improve the photorealism of the resulting mosaic.